I worked my way up from a part-time staff photographer to salaried local news editor, leading an award-winning newsroom, staffed with three to four reporters. I took pride in fostering a low-stress but high-expectation work environment that lent itself to collaboration and creativity. I used instructive coaching to help hone the reporters’ skills and direct them toward success. Along with that, my duties included finding and assigning stories, line editing and reworking stories as needed, photo editing, SEO headline writing, publishing stories online and on social media, moderating social media and online comment sections, budgeting the print edition, closely communicating with the finishing desk, and providing support as needed to our regional editor.

Prior to becoming an editor, alongside photography assignments, I held the writing beats of public safety/cops and breaking news and was also afforded opportunities to write feature pieces and columns.

I currently pursue journalism independently and pu

I also own a small art and portrait business in North Iowa, Astoria Photography.

Gilda Radner